


Translating

by DawnFire (DawnFire360)



Category: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Bilbo at home, Drabble, Gen, Translating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-04-21
Packaged: 2018-03-25 03:17:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3794629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnFire360/pseuds/DawnFire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo is immersed in translation-or, at least, as immersed as a hobbit can be when living in Bag End...Set around T.A. 2968 S.R. 1368. A canon compliant oneshot/drabble, occurring between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Translating

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I know you can't see me, but do I look like Tolkien to you? I make nothing of monetary value from this story, and I do not own the characters, their histories, or any of the quotes.
> 
> A/N: Notes on what Bilbo is translating are in the next 'chapter'. Reviews are welcome, as well as constructive criticism...

"Gil-galad...was...an Elven-king...of him...the...singers? No, the harpers...let's see...sorrowfully sing? No, that sounds wrong. Sadly sing, then. The...last whose...realm? Yes, realm...was...hm...fair...and...free...between the...oh, bother it, what is it now?"

Bilbo Baggins looked up from his comfortable seat in his study at Bag End. He had been immersed in translating an elvish lay into Westron, mumbling to himself as he wrote, until there had come a knocking at the door.

"Coming!" he called now, reluctantly leaving his chair to make his way to the door, grumbling all the way. "Well? What's all this knocking in aid of?" he demanded, opening the door.

"Beggin' your pardon, Mr. Bilbo." This latest intruder on Bilbo's day was his gardener, Hamfast. "I just came to tell you I'm done with your garden for today."

"Oh," said Bilbo. He felt a little guilty now, but really, people had been hammering on his door all day. How was a hobbit to get any rest? He had even been interrupted during teatime... "Well, that's alright then. Go along home, Ham, and give my regards to Bell and Hamson, there's a good chap."

"Very good, sir," Ham replied. "Sorry for interrupting you," he added. "Good day!" And he set off down the road, whistling cheerfully.

Bilbo, shaking his head, shut the door again, and returned to his work, pausing only to grab bread and cheese (and a mug of ale) from the kitchen.

"Now, let's see," he mumbled, mouth half-full of bread and cheese. He swallowed the food, took a drink, and reached for his quill again. "Between the...hm...Mountains, yes, and...the Sea. His sword..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters:
> 
> Bilbo Baggins: a Hobbit; lives in Bag End, in the Shire. His adventures (which occur over 20 years prior to this short tale) are told of primarily in a book called The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien. His nephew, Frodo Baggins (of LotR Trilogy fame) is neither of age nor living with him. He would only be a year or so old, if he is even born yet.
> 
> Hamfast Gamgee: This is the father of Samwise Gamgee (at this point unborn; later, Frodo Baggins' gardener, of LotR Trilogy fame). Ham is later called 'the gaffer'. He is also the father of five other children (2 boys, 3 girls). The only child of Ham's who is mentioned in this tale is...
> 
> Hamson Gamgee: The oldest of Hamfast's sons, Hamson was born a few years before Frodo Baggins and 15 or so years before his brother, Samwise. Hamson eventually becomes a rope-maker.
> 
> Bell Goodchild Gamgee: Bell is Hamfast's wife, and Hamson's mother. Bell and Hamfast had 6 children, the most famous being Samwise.


	2. About Bilbo's Translating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little more information.

In this tale, Bilbo is translating an Elvish lay called The Fall of Gil-galad, which is written in 'an ancient tongue' (Aragorn; FotR, p. 251), which I think might be Quenya. Bilbo's translation of this lay appears in the book Fellowship of the Ring (by J. R. R. Tolkien). It is recited there by Sam Gamgee, who learned it from Bilbo when he was 'a lad' (Samwise; FotR, p. 251). Sam recites three verses of Bilbo's translated lay; he says that there was 'a lot more', but that he didn't learn it, because it was 'all about Mordor' and 'gave [him] the shivers' (Sam; FotR, p. 251).

Written out properly, what Bilbo translates in this tale is the following:

Gil-galad was an Elven-king.  
Of him the harpers sadly sing:  
the last whose realm was fair and free  
between the Mountains and the Sea.

He then continues with the first part of the next verse, which I won't put here. There is a third verse as well, but I won't type it out here either. If you want to find it, it's in The Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, Chapter 11 (A Knife in the Dark), on page 250 in my copy (Ballantine edition)...

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note #2: Originally posted on fanfiction.net on May 4, 2010, and later reposted on figment.com. I have also been asked to continue this, but have yet to find an idea...


End file.
